8 Times You Should Be a Total Animal

Want to get sexier, savvier, and more powerful in every part of your life? Let Dave Salmoni, star of the new Animal Planet special Into the Pride, bring out the beast in you.

Sep 3, 2009

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Dave Salmoni knows all about animal behavior. For 11 years, the animal trainer, zoologist, and former Cosmo Fun Fearless Male has traveled the globe to tame lions, track tigers, and hang with lemurs. It didn't take much jungle time for him to realize that survival tactics from the animal kingdom can be highly effective in the human world. Here are eight situations — in love, at work, and on the prowl — in which it pays to tap in to your primal instincts.

1. When Your Man Gets Moody

"Male lions are built to fight," says Dave. "They don't need to be provoked. They'll just wake up and go looking for trouble." Luckily, lionesses know this, so when they spot their male in one of his snits, they move the pride elsewhere until he calms the hell down. "Human males are just like big cats in this respect. I'm proof of that," Dave says. "And the women I've had the most successful relationships with recognized that when I'm in a bad mood, I need time to go take some deep breaths." As eager as you may be to work through an issue, a guy needs to reset emotionally. If you can give him time to do so, seeing eye to eye will be so much easier.

2. When "Miss Thing" Is Making You Jealous

If a girl has it all going on — an incredible job, a hot boyfriend, countless pairs of killer shoes — it's easy to resent her so much that you refuse to be her friend. If you were a wolf, you'd know that was a big mistake. The alpha wolf may be top dog, but he always has a beta wolf who serves as his number two. In return, the beta gets the best food, the right to mate with the hottest females, and respect from all the other wolves. "When I'm integrating myself with animals, I often try to make friends with the dominant male first," Dave explains. "He's usually the biggest and the strongest, which can be intimidating. But when I win him over, he gives me what I need: a sort of character reference with every other animal." Similarly, allying yourself with the alpha in your social circle can get you access to what you want (like that shoe collection)...and put you in a position to steal her secrets.

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Jeff Lipsky

3. When Your Goal Is to Lead the Pack

Elephant herds aren't ruled by a male bull. They're headed up by a dominant female. "She becomes dominant by being a jack-of-all-trades: good at finding food, raising calves, keeping everyone safe, finding water, and making sure the bulls don't get into trouble," says Dave. When the rest of the herd sees how competent she is, they eagerly step in line behind her. If you're looking to get ahead, there's no better example to follow.

"Basically, I try to multitask like a female elephant," says Dave. "Yes, I'm good at dealing with animals. But I also understand marketing, public relations, production, and building relationships. There are a lot of people who'd love to have my job. But I think I'm the one doing it because I also do all these other things." There will always be someone who can outdo you in a single way, but if you're multitalented, the odds that you'll be the most attractive candidate skyrocket. So instead of obsessively developing a single skill, devote more time to finding other things you're good at and getting even better at them.

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4. When You Want Him to Want You

When a tigress in heat spots a male she has the hots for, she lets him know. First, she roars seductively; then she shamelessly rubs up against him. Once she commands his full attention, however, she scampers away and makes him chase her before she'll let him seal the deal. "I've honestly seen male tigers, after the female does her thing and then runs away, with an intrigued look on their face," Dave says. "And they always run after her." Got your eye on a cutie? Make like a tigress and send out an "I'm interested" vibe before letting him know that you're busy for a week or so. "Guys don't want to chase a girl forever," Dave tells us, "but if there's no chase, we get bored."

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Jeff Lipsky

5. When You're Networking

In a community of chimps, status is often determined by how well an individual can get along with others. "When I was doing work at a sanctuary called Chimp Eden, I noticed that the most physically dominant male isn't always the boss," Dave says. "The boss is the one with the most support from the rest of the community. The dominant male would sometimes groom a female he wasn't mating with — in theory, that shouldn't happen, but he was doing it to ally himself with her. He was being smart."

You never know who might someday be able to give you a hand — whether it's at work or in your social life — so put yourself in a position to be able to ask for one when you need it. Instead of waiting for friends or coworkers to come to you for help, do little things for them whenever you have a chance.

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6. When You're Looking to Meet Guys

Animals hunt in packs to increase their odds of success. In a lion pride, one cat may chase down prey while another waits to ambush it. When executed perfectly, dinner doesn't stand a chance. Well, think of your friends as your pride. "One night, I was approached by this really chatty girl," Dave begins. "I wasn't interested...but then her friend wandered over. We started talking, and I ended up asking her out. Later, I learned that the friend, who was shy, had sent over the chatty girl to break the ice. Awesome technique!"

Use male friends to your advantage too. Ask one to recruit a couple of cute guys for a game of pool or offer up a free beer if he can engage that Ryan Gosling look-alike in conversation and then steer him your way.

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Jeff Lipsky

7. When You're Seeking Long-Term Love

Male chimpanzees have surprisingly high mating standards. "Initially, it's all physical," Dave says. "But they also choose mates that have good relationships with other chimps and get the most food." A guy won't critique your grocery-shopping skills, but ingrained in his DNA is an attraction to maternal traits. "Your boobs and ass are genetic indicators of fertility," Dave explains, "but having your life together quickly becomes just as important." Show a guy that you have strong friendships, care about your work, and plan for the future and he'll be impressed on the deepest level.

8. When You're Passionate About Something

A lemur (the cute little guy perched on the cute big guy in this photo) is an opportunistic omnivore. That means it can eat just about anything. Yet 60 percent of a lemur's diet consists of tamarinds. Why? Because it freakin' loves tamarinds. In other words, lemurs surround themselves with what they adore. And so should you. "I'm home for only a month a year," says Dave. "And when I am, I do two things: spend time with my family and hang out with my best friends. Neither ever fails to make me happy."